Micro Drives Increase Surgical Precision

Modern medical technology is making operations safer and replacing conventional surgical methods with procedures that put less strain on patients. Often, these new techniques rely on micro-control motion technology, such as minimally invasive surgery, for example, which uses small openings in the body rather than larger incisions.

Since all the components used need to be as compact as possible, micro drives are an appropriate solution for medical actuator systems. They produce high performance from very low product volumes, plus they are very easy to control and adaptable to all medical standards, making them perfect for extending the fingertip sensitivity of the operator. Minimally invasive surgery represents a significant improvement for patients, but the “operating tools” used need to meet exacting requirements in terms of flexibility, reliability, and ergonomics.

Miniature medical actuator systems used in minimally invasive surgery need to be as compact as possible. Micro drives are an effective solution because they offer high performance from small packages, are easy to control, and help increase the fingertip sensitivity of the surgeon.

The new ViKY system (Vision Control for endoscopY) developed by EndoControl is tailored to meet these everyday medical requirements. In order to accommodate all the options the system offers to the operator within the smallest possible space, the developers worked in conjunction with custom motion provider, Faulhaber. Modern micromotors with precision gears and motion controllers are now used for the precise execution of the surgeon’s control commands.

The new endoscopy system was developed with flexibility and compact design in mind from the outset. The device can handle all standard procedures in the abdomen, chest cavity, and other body cavities. Its small size, compared to other systems, means the surgeon is given better access to the patient, and allows surgeons to employ their experience in direct contact with the patient rather than being reliant on pre-filtered information on a screen.

Its comparatively low procurement and operating costs, compact size, and the fact that ease of sterilization has been incorporated into the design, make the system ideal for various surgical disciplines. Precise control and drives allow the system to be used just as effectively in different areas such as gynecology, urology, or gastrointestinal, bariatric, and thoracoscopic surgery.

Medical surgical robots will change the face of surgery in the future.Miniature medical actuator systems used in minimally invasive surgery need to be as compact as possible.These miniature medical actuator systems will definitely be of help in applications where there is a need for precise positioning.

The advantages of medical minaturization are obvious. What I still don't get is how telemedicine. which in terms of its technological heritage is certainly related, is widely applicable. It can work in certain situations but what happens when something goes wrong? An unexpected emergency (bleeding out), power outage, or some physical movement which takes the patient out of the operational window (like falling off the operating table; I guess that's why they strap you down).

Well, that does make telemedicine sound scary. AFAIK, hospitals have long been one of the biggest users of massive, high end UPS systems, at least since the early 80s when I worked in the UPS industry. OTOH, when the Northridge quake struck L.A., Santa Monica Hospital lost electricity and a lot of people got hurt.

I understand the surgical aspect of these small motors but I'm missing the point as to why they are advancing developments of such surgical tools with batteries.Maybe not for the surgical tools, but for post surgical implants-?Guessing batteries would be needed for a prosthetic, perhaps where tiny motors move finger joints? But I'm not clearly envisioning the application.It's different from say, a pace-maker with a 5 year battery sending a micro-pulse to a heart muscle – no moving parts in that App. -- So, why batteries-?

It's easy to read through this article and skim right past one amazing bit of information: "Motor sizes of 1.9 mm in diameter..." That's a motor diameter of about 1/12th of an inch! I'd be curious to see how a motor of that size is manufacturerd.

Telemedicine must be seen from a different angle I guess rather different scenarios. In a country like India or some part of Africa where there are many villages without even a primary health centre, leave alone speciality hospitals. But if one can set up a telemedicine centre, it will make the necessary medical services available to the needy. Well that does not take away the risks involved in telemedicine procedures but it is better than that of the scenario where there is no medical service at all.

There are a variety of motion suppliers that are providing miniaturization solutions at different levels which are being implemented in medical applications. This is one of the exciting areas for motion development. Some piezo technology solutions are integrating micro-mechatronic modules (combining controls, drives, sensors) that are ideal for use in medical devices, robotic surgical tools and precision analytical instrumentation. It also can be used to create non-magnetic motion systems for safe operation in MRI environments.

Industrial workplaces are governed by OSHA rules, but this isn’t to say that rules are always followed. While injuries happen on production floors for a variety of reasons, of the top 10 OSHA rules that are most often ignored in industrial settings, two directly involve machine design: lockout/tagout procedures (LO/TO) and machine guarding.

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